Deze opleiding

Cognitive Neuroscience is designed to unravel the way human brain works by exploring the cognitive and neural basis for mental functions such as perception, action, language, attention and memory.

The Cognitive Neuroscience Master's programme in Nijmegen is unique in the world because of its multidisciplinary approach. Psychologists, physicists, biologists, mathematicians, linguists and medical professionals work side by side. It is precisely here, at the interface between disciplines, that discoveries are made that lead to new insights. This is the secret of our success and the reason for our excellent international reputation.

As a Master's student you will find yourself in a dynamic research environment and you will be guided by top scientists from all over the world. You will be able to choose from a variety of research themes and gain experience in the research institutes that participate in this programme. These include the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, the Centre for Language Studies, the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, and various departments at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre.

This programme was recently rated number one in the Netherlands in the Keuzegids Masters 2015 (Guide to Master's programmes).

Waarom aan de Radboud Universiteit?

Erkenningen

Keuzegids topopleiding2016Keuzegids topopleiding2016

The Cognitive Neuroscience programme in Nijmegen offers students hands-on experience with state of the art research techniques. In addition, the student run journal provides students the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of scientific publishing from an early start on.

Studieprogramma

The Master's programme in Cognitive Neuroscience has a total load of 120 EC* (two years). As a student in the Master's programme you take part in the set of compulsory courses together with all other students of the programme.

In these general compulsory courses you'll become acquainted with the most important theories, models, techniques and analysis methods in Cognitive Neuroscience. Based on your specialisation, you also choose five courses from a set of seven courses offered to make up your specialized training. In addition, each student chooses two skill training courses. Finally, the theoretical training is completed by choosing two elective courses, either from your own specialisation, or from another specialisation to broaden your background knowledge.

specialisaties

specialisatie Perception, Action & Control

Studying the basic sensorimotor aspects of perception-action coupling as well as the cognitive, contextual and social components.

Catching a ball, picking up a cup and writing down a sentence: these are all targeted actions that you often perform without thinking about them. Scientists at Radboud University are highly interested in hot topics in social neurocognition. How are perceptuomotor tasks (i.e. the movement of a limb in response to a perception) performed in team settings like sports? How is joint action achieved in collaborative and competitive contexts? And how are the actions of others understood?

The specialisation also looks at situations where brain damage has occurred. For example, the automatic actions of patients who suffered a brain haemorrhage no longer come so naturally. Why is that? Which neurocognitive processes play a role in these actions?A large majority of our graduates gain a PhD position, while other graduates find jobs in the commercial sector or at research institutes (traffic research, etc.). They are also likely to find jobs in the health care sector, like rehabilitation centres.

specialisatie Language and communication

Studying the acquisition, understanding and production of language.

A mature language user has a vocabulary of about thirty to forty thousand words. Speech is produced at a speed of three to five words per second. How is it possible that, in such an amazingly short period of time, you can select the correct words, put them in the correct order and grammatical form, and pronounce them intelligibly? The acquisition and comprehension of language are based on extremely complex cognitive processes which are not yet entirely understood. It's these processes, and their biological underpinnings, that form psycholinguistics' field of study and are the basis of this specialisation.

specialisatie Plasticity & Memory

Studying the mechanistic underpinnings and behavioural consequences of long-term changes in neural structure and function.

Memory is at the very heart of our personality: the countless snapshots of our daily experiences have a pervasive and enduring influence on the self. But how are these memories organised in the brain and how are they given value and meaning? The specialisation in Plasticity and Memory looks at the development and decay of the healthy and the maladaptive brain.The goal is to understand various types of neuroplastic changes in the brain, specifically in patients with for example Alzheimer's disease, stress-related disorders, chronic pain, autism, intellectual disabilities, and ADHD.

You'll study diverse brain functions by measuring and manipulating cognitive, emotional, hormonal and neural mechanisms, as well as by (epi)genetic fingerprinting and developing cell and animal disease models. You'll learn to do research towards patient care that individualises the diagnostic approach and therapeutic and care interventions. Aim is to obtain an optimal fit with patient characteristics and individual preference.

specialisatie Brain Networks & Neuronal Communication

This focus is on brain networks, ranging from the very smallest – communication between individual neurons – to the largest: communication between different brain areas and the outside world.

The specialization Brain Networks and Neuronal Communication (BNNC) deals with brain networks ranging from the smallest scale: communication between individual neurons, up to the largest scale: communication between different brain areas. It intends to provide students with the tools and insights necessary to conduct research in this area. Using advanced mathematical tools, this track prepares students for cutting-edge neuroscience research.

Students who are interested in this specialization are expected to already have a high level of mathematical skills and/or training in physics, engineering or computer science based on their BSc studies. Highly motivated students with a more cognitive science background can get quickly up to speed by taking our math courses specifically geared towards cognitive neuroscience.

onderwijsvormen

Toelating en studiekosten

startmomenten

1 februari 2018

collegegeld nog niet bekend

1 september 2018

aanmelding deadline : 1 mei 2018collegegeld nog niet bekend

Are you interested in becoming a researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience? Do not hesitate and apply for a place in the Master's programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. Applying is a two-step process for all candidates. Check our website for more information: http://www.ru.nl/opleidingen/master/cognitive-neuroscience-research/application/

toelaatbare profielen

WO bachelor

toelaatbaar

toelatingseisen

toelatingsgesprekEligible candidates will be invited for an interview, person-to-person or via Skype.

cijferlijst

basiskennisStudents who did not follow physics in their highschool curriculum and/or who have not been trained in mathematics (including concepts such as matrix algebra, differentation, integration, complex numbers) are advised to resolve this deficiency prior to the start of the programme.

Na de studie

Beroepsperspectief / arbeidsmarkt

The majority of graduates are succesful in obtaining a PhD position, either at the Donders Graduate School for Cognitive Neuroscience, elsewhere in the Netherlands, but also abroad (e.g., UK, Germany, France).